Reparative
Therapy

Menstuff® has information on Reparative or Conversion Therapy.
Reparative Therapy claims to be able to remove the inclination for
same sex attraction for LGBT people through talking.
Actually, it is the attempted brainwashing of
LGBT people.

* The book with lots more info like this
:) https://goo.gl/9zXFpw The Free book at
https://goo.gl/Gerie7

32:41

7:18

6:44

5:55

6:44

Living Through Gay
Conversion Therapy (

Law Student Sent To Ex-Gay Therapy,
Puts Counselor to Shame

Gay Twins Come Out To Each Other,
Then To Mom.

Coming Out to My Dad, the Founder of
Conversion Therapy

Anderson debates Texas GOPer on
reparative therapy

Organizations to Watch Out For: American Anglican Council,
Desert Stream Ministries, Exodus International, Focus on the Family,
Life Ministries International, Love in Action International, the
National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality
(NARTH) and Redeemed Lives Ministries (RLM).

Quotations:

"There is no published scientific evidence supporting the
efficacy of 'reparative therapy' as a treatment to change one's
sexual orientation". American Psychiatric Association's 1997 Fact
Sheet on Homosexual and Bisexual Issues.

"Exodus upholds redemption for the homosexual person as the
process whereby sin's power is broken, and the individual is freed
to know and experience true identity as discovered in Christ and
His Church. That process entails the freedom to grow into
heterosexuality". Exodus International's statement of belief.

"Relationship with Jesus Christ and a life of prayer are the
keys to changing homosexual desires and fostering the development
of healthy, nonsexual intimate relationships." Martha Kleder,
Focus on the Family. 33

"There is no documentary evidence showing someones
sexual preference can be changed by therapy. There is only
anecdotal evidence, mostly from the therapists themselves,
claiming that what they do works. Thats not very scientific.
On the other hand, theres no scientific evidence to show
that this is impossible...It hasnt been studied." Dr. Robert
Spitzer, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University. In 2001,
after he made this statement, he reported on a study that he had
made. It indicated that reparative therapy has as a failure rate
on the order of 99.98%

Overview:

The term "reparative therapy" has multiple definitions:

Some define it as a specific secular counseling technique. It
involves helping a gay or lesbian bond in a close, intimate but
non-sexual relationship with an adult member of the same gender.
This is supposed to substitute for the bond between the client and
their same-sex parent which therapists allege did not properly
form during childhood.

Others define the term reparative therapy more inclusively to
be any formal attempt to change a person's sexual orientation --
typically from homosexual to heterosexual. It thus includes
attempts by conservative Christian transformational ministries to
use prayer, religious conversion, one-on-one and group counseling,
etc. to change a person's sexual orientation.

The term "conversion therapy" is sometimes used as a synonym for
reparative therapy.

A person's "sexual orientation" is normally defined by the gender
of those to whom the person is sexually attracted; homosexuals are
attracted only to members of the same sex; bisexuals are attracted to
both men and women, but not necessarily to an equal degree. However,
promoters of these therapies often define "sexual orientation" in
terms of sexual behavior.

The effectiveness of these therapies has yet to be properly
evaluated. They may be found to be helpful; it may turn out to be
useless; they may be eventually recognized as ineffective and
potentially harmful. Many information sources do agree that:

No research into the effectiveness of reparative therapy has
ever been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

No accurate, longitudinal survey has been conducted to track
the outcome of clients who have completed these therapies.

Although there have been a few studies, all have serious
deficiencies. Some anecdotal evidence is available -- both negative
and positive.

Therapists who engage in these therapies are exposing their
clients to an unproven, experimental treatment. Clients should
realize that little is known about the potential benefits or dangers
of these therapies. Dr. Jack Drescher, a medical doctor who works
extensively with homosexuals stated: "It is not clear...if reparative
therapists ever provide informed consent to explain these substantial
risks to the patients they treat, or even if they are fully aware of
the costs to the unrepaired."

Many recent, experimental forms of therapy have proven disastrous
to the quality of life of the client-victims. Recovered memory
therapy was one; another is multiple personality disorder therapy
(a.k.a. dissociative identity disorder). Both triggered many suicides
and caused a great deal of pain, at both the personal and family
level. Therapies which attempt to change sexual orientation may be
similarly dangerous.

Terminology used:

There are two "solitudes" within society dealing with homosexual
issues:

Many conservative Christians individuals, therapists,
ministries, and groups believe that homosexual behavior is
abnormal, unnatural, chosen and sinful. They promote these
therapies as helpful and safe techniques to "cure"
homosexuality.

Essentially all gays, lesbians, mental health professionals,
human sexuality researchers and religious liberals accept that a
homosexual orientation is normal and natural for a minority of
people. They believe that sexual orientation cannot be changed.
They generally believe that both heterosexual and homosexual
behavior can be either sinful or not, depending upon the
circumstances. They regard these therapies to be non-productive
and potentially dangerous.

Each of these groups assigns different meanings to common English
words and phrases. This is not unique. The same phenomenon occurs in
the field of abortion, corporal punishment and other areas of social
debate. It makes dialog and communication very difficult.

Common conservative
Christian usage

Common usage by other groups

Homosexuality is a behavior.

Homosexuality is an orientation

Homosexuality is what one does.

Homosexuality is what one is.

Sexual preference

Sexual orientation

"I am cured of homosexuality" OR

"I am an ex-gay."

"I was a sexually active homosexual; I am now homosexual
who has chosen to be celibate."

"I was once in the homosexual lifestyle, but I am a
heterosexual now."

"I was a bisexual who engaged in same-sex relationships.
My orientation is still bisexual, but, I now choose to have
only relationships with the opposite gender."

A person involved in the homosexual lifestyle

A person with a bisexual or homosexual orientation who is
sexually active with members of the same gender.

The source of modern-day secular reparative therapy can be traced
back many decades to the research of Irving Bieber, Lawrence Hatterer
and Sigmond Freud. Their conclusions about homosexuality had long
been abandoned by almost all mental health professionals. However,
Elizabeth Moberly, a British, conservative, Christian theologian
studied those works and developed a new theory of the cause of
homosexuality. She believes that it is solely caused by environmental
factors -- incompetence on the part of the parent of the same gender.
She also developed a technique in the early 1980's which attempts to
change the sexual orientation of homosexual adults. She has done no
clinical work to support the validity of her theory or the
effectiveness of her therapeutic technique. She is a theologian, not
a trained mental health professional. Her book "Homosexuality: A new
Christian ethic" is still in print and is widely circulated among
conservative Christians. 1

She abandoned "Freud's emphasis on the domineering mother and
focused on the effect of the 'passive' or 'distant' father. Moberly
determined...that the homosexual men in the studies were suffering
from what she termed 'defensive detachment' and 'same sex
ambivalence.' The theory presumes that the young boy, for any of a
variety of reasons, did not bond with his father in a meaningful
way." 2 Lacking a positive relationship with his father, the boy
"defensively detaches" from any potential friendships with other boys
his own age. After puberty, he redirects his longing for a close
relationship with his father and other males into a search for love.
He sexualizes the longing, feels attraction to other men, and becomes
an active homosexual. (We have used a male example here because
almost all reparative therapy is done on men).

During therapy, the gay client is encouraged to enter into an
emotionally close, non-sexual, non-erotic relationship with another
male adult. Once he achieves this, heterosexual feelings are expected
to emerge over time and homosexual feelings are expected to fade.

As mentioned above, no peer-reviewed study has been published on
reparative therapy. No longitudinal study has ever been conducted
into its long-term effectiveness and hazards. However, many of the
larger conservative Christian organizations, like Coral Ridge
Ministries and Focus on the Family claim that this and other
therapies have a high cure rate. Meanwhile many psychiatrists who do
not support this therapy report anecdotal evidence of gays and
lesbians who have become seriously depressed after the inevitable
failure of their therapy; some have committed suicide.

Is a change in sexual orientation
possible?

These conversion therapies are based on the belief that the
"cause(s)" of homosexuality are found in the environment --
specifically from the parenting incompetence of the father while the
boy is young. We have found six types of studies into the nature of
homosexuality that appear to indicate that this is not true:

The first type appears to show that inadequate or non-existent
fathering is not a factor in sexual orientation:

Society itself is an excellent testing laboratory for many
social theories. There is a near consensus among mental health and
human sexuality professionals that the incidence of homosexual
orientation is fairly constant across societies and eras. However,
if Ms. Moberly's theory on incompetent fathering is correct, then
one would expect to observe two factors:

A drastic increase in homosexual orientation among children
born shortly before World War II. British, Canadian and other
forces were engaged in combat from 1939 to 1945; Americans were
involved from 1941 to 1945. Many boys were deprived of their
fathers during their formative years. The ultimate "distant"
father is one who is fighting a war on another continent. We have
been unable to find evidence of any such massive surge in the
incidence of homosexual orientation among men who are now in their
early 60's.

A much larger percentage of African-American children than
white children are brought up in a single-parent family in which a
resident father is absent. If Moberly's theory were correct, then
one would expect a much higher incidence of homosexuality among
African-American adult males than among the general population.
Again, there appears to be no evidence that this is true.

Five other studies appear to indicate that sexual orientation (at
least for males) is largely genetically determined:

Pedigree studies of the sexual orientation of the ancestors of
gay males indicates that homosexual orientation is largely
genetically determined and is passed by the mother via one or more
genes on a specific chromosome.

Studies of identical twins who were separated at birth and
raised in isolation from each other also show that homosexual
orientation is primarily genetically determined.

Studies of twins who are born into and raised in the same
family support the data from the previous study.

Studies of fingertip ridges shows a difference between
homosexual and heterosexual males. (Fingerprints are fully formed
by the 17th week of pregnancy).

Studies of index and ring fingers show that homosexuals and
heterosexuals generally differ in the ratio of the length of their
fingers. The relative size of a person's fingers is also
determined before birth.

Acceptance of conversion therapies:

Within the mental health community there are two schools of
thought about these therapies:

Many hundreds of conservative Christian therapists and ministries
promote them as effective and safe. These therapies mesh well with
their fundamental religious beliefs: Starting with three fundamental
religious beliefs common to most conservative Christians, that:

The Bible condemns homosexual behavior

God hates homosexual acts.

God is involved in every life event, including fertilization
of ova.

Then it would appear irrational for God to create about 5% of the
embryos as homosexual. Thus, sexual orientation cannot be genetically
predetermined.

Starting with another two fundamental religious beliefs:

God is omnipotent, and thus has the power to change a person's
sexual orientation.

God has promised to answer the sincere prayers of born-again
believers.

Then, sexual orientation must be changeable, at least for
born-again believers, through effort, counseling, and prayer.

Almost all of the hundreds of thousands of remaining mental health
professionals feel that therapy is:

incapable of changing a person's sexual orientation,

is contraindicated,

may be damaging to the client, and

has the potential to cause serious depression

triggers suicide in some cases.

Safety of these therapies:

Within medicine, there are strong governmental controls that
govern the introduction of new medications and treatment regimens.
But mental and physical therapies are largely unregulated. Anybody
can introduce and promote a new, totally unproven, form of
experimental therapy. If it catches on, thousands of therapists may
adopt the concept and start treating their patients. Over the last
two decades we have seen treatments based on therapists' beliefs in:
abuse of patients during former lifetimes, abuse during UFO
visitations, facilitated communication for autistic children,
indwelling demonic spirits, mind control within religious Cults,
multiple personality disorder/dissociative identity disorder,
recovered memory therapy, ritual abuse in day care centers, Satanic
ritual abuse, and therapeutic touch.

All of these treatment methods have a few points in common:

None are currently accepted by most therapists.

None were accepted by most therapists at any time in the
past.

All are, or have been, widespread forms of therapy by a
minority of therapists and clergy.

None have been meaningfully researched and shown to be
helpful.

Most of these have been shown to be frauds; all might eventually
prove to be ineffective. Many generate a trail of devastated lives;
some have been shown to trigger deep depression and suicide.

No consensus exists on the safety, effectiveness, and possible
adverse consequences of conversion therapies at this time. We urge
extreme caution.

Many bisexuals have been convinced, during therapy, to confine
their relationships to the opposite gender. This is commonly
referred to by therapists and Evangelical Christian ministries to
gays and lesbians as "leaving the homosexual lifestyle," "changing
their homosexuality," "becoming an ex-gay," "set free from the
addiction of homosexuality and lesbianism," "seeking freedom from
homosexuality," "called...to a new kind of life," "being a
recovered gay," "redeem their lives from the pit," etc. Note that
their sexual orientation is unchanged; they simply decided to
behave differently -- to only become romantically involved with
members of the opposite gender.

Some homosexuals have been convinced during therapy to choose
celibacy. Therapy promoters generally use the above terms to
describe this group as well. Note that their sexual orientation is
unchanged; they remain homosexual; they simply decided to not act
on their sexual longings -- to not have a sexual partner, and to
accept a life of loneliness.

Some homosexuals have completed therapy in a temporary
euphoria. They believe that they have changed their sexual
orientation. Some are even able to engage in sexual intercourse
with members of the opposite gender, by closing their eyes and
fantasizing that they are actually making love to a person of the
same sex. The belief that they are now heterosexual always, or
almost always, fades with time.

Some have entered therapy with great anticipation that they
will be able to change their sexual orientation.

When it proves unsuccessful:

Many become severely depressed. Some of these have attempted
or actually committed suicide.

Some have the opposite reaction. They achieve greater
self-esteem. They finally realize that they have exhausted all
their options; their homosexual orientation cannot be changed.
They accept themselves for what they are, and pursue gay/lesbian
relationship(s) without guilt.

We have been able to find a few documented case of individuals
with a homosexual orientation who report having changed to a
heterosexual orientation. Almost all of the cases that we have
located turned out to be false leads: the individual later admitted
that he/she had not changed their orientation. Many have left the
"ex-gay" movement to become an "ex-ex-gays."

Unfortunately, these suspicions are based on inadequate evidence.
Certainty awaits a meaningful, credible study by mental health
professionals. Unfortunately, the studies that have been made to date
are seriously flawed.

Gay Conversion Therapy Made Me
Suicidal: The Powerful True Story Behind the Film Boy Erased

Garrard Conley had just been through 11 days of what he describes as
psychological torture when his mom pulled the car over
and asked him, Are you going to kill yourself? He
replied, Yes. His mother Martha recalls, I remember
looking at him, and the look in his eyes, there was such
sadness. Conley adds, I wasnt the person she
knew.

Conley, then 19, had been subjected to intensely brutal all-day
sessions as part of conversion therapy, a pseudoscientific practice
employing techniques including therapy and physical punishment with
the goal of changing a persons sexual orientation. You
feel like its life and death at every moment, he recalls.
He turned his experience into a 2016 memoir, Boy Erased, which has
been adapted into a powerful new movie starring Nicole Kidman,
Russell Crowe and Lucas Hedges, and directed by Joel Edgerton.

Roughly 700,000 people in the U.S. have been subjected to the
controversial practice, which, though discredited by the medical
community, is still promoted within a number of fundamentalist
Christian churches.

The idea that homosexuality needs to be cured or fixed in
the first place is misrepresentation, says Scott McCoy of the
Southern Poverty Law Center. He added that groups including the
American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association
and the American Psychological Association say conversion
therapy is nonsense and psychologically harmful.

For Conley, now 33, going to conversion therapy meant trying to
reverse something hed known to be true since he was very young.
I had known since third grade that I had an attraction to
men, he says. But I think because we were raised in the
church (his father, Hershel, is a Baptist minister), you believe that
life is full of temptation. So just having that thought or that
feeling is just another temptation, and you ignore it.

Things changed when Conley was at Lyon College, where he says a
student raped him. I told some of my friends, he says.
When he found out I did that, he called my mom, and attempted
to basically cover up what hed done by telling her that I was
gay.

Martha picked up her son from school, and brought him home, where
he knew he would have to face his father. My dad took me inside
his bedroom and asked me if I was gay, or what was going on, he
recalls. He said, Do you swear to god?' Conley, who
says, I was terrified I would lose my family, faith, and the
God Id prayed to every day of my life, told his father,
I cant do that I am having these
feelings.'

That night, Hershel consulted other ministers he respected, and
they recommended a Memphis, Tennessee-based program called Love in
Action, which was about 5-6 hours from their house in Mountain Home,
Arkansas. Before beginning the two-week introduction to the program,
called The Source, Conley underwent therapy with an affiliated
therapist.

He would ask me to tell him my sexual fantasies, and I would
tell him everything. And then he would say, Well, you know,
thats disgusting. And, God doesnt love
that.'

All three agreed Conley should give Love in Action a try. I
really thought this was a godsend at first, says Martha. Her
son adds, These were leaders in the church, that my dad looked
up to. It just felt like an inevitable step. Now, he says,
It was complete snake oil, but because it was under this guise
of a religious organization, and they were using the right Bible
verses, we bought it.

Once there, Conley says, It was a lot of shaming. It was
lots of fear. You had to really express things that youd never
expressed before. And then you were told, after you expressed them,
This is disgusting, this is vile.

In the movie, patients are subjected to physical abuse, which
Conley says is accurate, though it didnt happen to him.
It felt like complete hopelessness. Adding to that, the
program was actually angling for a lengthy stay. Participants are
generally enrolled for three months, then a year, in order to be
cured. And the cost is prohibitive, as Conley recalls his
parents paying $1,500 per week in 2004.

The final straw came when Conley was ordered to yell at an empty
chair that was supposed to represent his dad, and tell him he hated
him. He refused. They were just so angry that I wouldnt
do it. I was thinking to myself, This is a Christian
institution, and they want me to say that I hate someone, in order to
be cured. That seems like the opposite of what Christianity is
supposed to be. Conley quit the exercise, fled to the room
where they had his belongings, including his cell phone, and called
his mother.

Once she arrived, she says, I was horrified when I found out
what was actually going on. I needed to get my son away from
this. On the way out, Martha furiously questioned, What
are your qualifications? Why are you doing this?

After talking to her son, she says, I remember calling
Hershel and saying, Were coming home. He said,
Its not over yet. I said, Well, its
over for Garrard.'

While his relationship with his father is always going to be
a little bit complicated Weve found ways around it
through the years, says Conley, he remains very close to his
mother.

My mom saved my life, says Conley, who lives in New
York City with his husband Shahab, a software engineer. If
shed hesitated, if shed said, Maybe you should try
it, stick it out, I think I would have gone back. But she
decided to take us home.

Organizations to Watch Out For: American Anglican Council,
Desert Stream Ministries, Exodus International, Focus on the Family,
Life Ministries International, Love in Action International, the
National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality
(NARTH) and Redeemed Lives Ministries (RLM).

Quotations:

"There is no published scientific evidence supporting the
efficacy of 'reparative therapy' as a treatment to change one's
sexual orientation". American Psychiatric Association's 1997 Fact
Sheet on Homosexual and Bisexual Issues.

"Exodus upholds redemption for the homosexual person as the
process whereby sin's power is broken, and the individual is freed
to know and experience true identity as discovered in Christ and
His Church. That process entails the freedom to grow into
heterosexuality". Exodus International's statement of belief.

"Relationship with Jesus Christ and a life of prayer are the
keys to changing homosexual desires and fostering the development
of healthy, nonsexual intimate relationships." Martha Kleder,
Focus on the Family. 33

"There is no documentary evidence showing someones
sexual preference can be changed by therapy. There is only
anecdotal evidence, mostly from the therapists themselves,
claiming that what they do works. Thats not very scientific.
On the other hand, theres no scientific evidence to show
that this is impossible...It hasnt been studied." Dr. Robert
Spitzer, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University. In 2001,
after he made this statement, he reported on a study that he had
made. It indicated that reparative therapy has as a failure rate
on the order of 99.98%

Overview:

The term "reparative therapy" has multiple definitions:

Some define it as a specific secular counseling technique. It
involves helping a gay or lesbian bond in a close, intimate but
non-sexual relationship with an adult member of the same gender.
This is supposed to substitute for the bond between the client and
their same-sex parent which therapists allege did not properly
form during childhood.

Others define the term reparative therapy more inclusively to
be any formal attempt to change a person's sexual orientation --
typically from homosexual to heterosexual. It thus includes
attempts by conservative Christian transformational ministries to
use prayer, religious conversion, one-on-one and group counseling,
etc. to change a person's sexual orientation.

The term "conversion therapy" is sometimes used as a synonym for
reparative therapy.

A person's "sexual orientation" is normally defined by the gender
of those to whom the person is sexually attracted; homosexuals are
attracted only to members of the same sex; bisexuals are attracted to
both men and women, but not necessarily to an equal degree. However,
promoters of these therapies often define "sexual orientation" in
terms of sexual behavior.

The effectiveness of these therapies has yet to be properly
evaluated. They may be found to be helpful; it may turn out to be
useless; they may be eventually recognized as ineffective and
potentially harmful. Many information sources do agree that:

No research into the effectiveness of reparative therapy has
ever been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

No accurate, longitudinal survey has been conducted to track
the outcome of clients who have completed these therapies.

Although there have been a few studies, all have serious
deficiencies. Some anecdotal evidence is available -- both negative
and positive.

Therapists who engage in these therapies are exposing their
clients to an unproven, experimental treatment. Clients should
realize that little is known about the potential benefits or dangers
of these therapies. Dr. Jack Drescher, a medical doctor who works
extensively with homosexuals stated: "It is not clear...if reparative
therapists ever provide informed consent to explain these substantial
risks to the patients they treat, or even if they are fully aware of
the costs to the unrepaired."

Many recent, experimental forms of therapy have proven disastrous
to the quality of life of the client-victims. Recovered memory
therapy was one; another is multiple personality disorder therapy
(a.k.a. dissociative identity disorder). Both triggered many suicides
and caused a great deal of pain, at both the personal and family
level. Therapies which attempt to change sexual orientation may be
similarly dangerous.

Terminology used:

There are two "solitudes" within society dealing with homosexual
issues:

Many conservative Christians individuals, therapists,
ministries, and groups believe that homosexual behavior is
abnormal, unnatural, chosen and sinful. They promote these
therapies as helpful and safe techniques to "cure"
homosexuality.

Essentially all gays, lesbians, mental health professionals,
human sexuality researchers and religious liberals accept that a
homosexual orientation is normal and natural for a minority of
people. They believe that sexual orientation cannot be changed.
They generally believe that both heterosexual and homosexual
behavior can be either sinful or not, depending upon the
circumstances. They regard these therapies to be non-productive
and potentially dangerous.

Each of these groups assigns different meanings to common English
words and phrases. This is not unique. The same phenomenon occurs in
the field of abortion, corporal punishment and other areas of social
debate. It makes dialog and communication very difficult.

Common conservative
Christian usage

Common usage by other groups

Homosexuality is a behavior.

Homosexuality is an orientation

Homosexuality is what one does.

Homosexuality is what one is.

Sexual preference

Sexual orientation

"I am cured of homosexuality" OR

"I am an ex-gay."

"I was a sexually active homosexual; I am now homosexual
who has chosen to be celibate."

"I was once in the homosexual lifestyle, but I am a
heterosexual now."

"I was a bisexual who engaged in same-sex relationships.
My orientation is still bisexual, but, I now choose to have
only relationships with the opposite gender."

A person involved in the homosexual lifestyle

A person with a bisexual or homosexual orientation who is
sexually active with members of the same gender.

The source of modern-day secular reparative therapy can be traced
back many decades to the research of Irving Bieber, Lawrence Hatterer
and Sigmond Freud. Their conclusions about homosexuality had long
been abandoned by almost all mental health professionals. However,
Elizabeth Moberly, a British, conservative, Christian theologian
studied those works and developed a new theory of the cause of
homosexuality. She believes that it is solely caused by environmental
factors -- incompetence on the part of the parent of the same gender.
She also developed a technique in the early 1980's which attempts to
change the sexual orientation of homosexual adults. She has done no
clinical work to support the validity of her theory or the
effectiveness of her therapeutic technique. She is a theologian, not
a trained mental health professional. Her book "Homosexuality: A new
Christian ethic" is still in print and is widely circulated among
conservative Christians. 1

She abandoned "Freud's emphasis on the domineering mother and
focused on the effect of the 'passive' or 'distant' father. Moberly
determined...that the homosexual men in the studies were suffering
from what she termed 'defensive detachment' and 'same sex
ambivalence.' The theory presumes that the young boy, for any of a
variety of reasons, did not bond with his father in a meaningful
way." 2 Lacking a positive relationship with his father, the boy
"defensively detaches" from any potential friendships with other boys
his own age. After puberty, he redirects his longing for a close
relationship with his father and other males into a search for love.
He sexualizes the longing, feels attraction to other men, and becomes
an active homosexual. (We have used a male example here because
almost all reparative therapy is done on men).

During therapy, the gay client is encouraged to enter into an
emotionally close, non-sexual, non-erotic relationship with another
male adult. Once he achieves this, heterosexual feelings are expected
to emerge over time and homosexual feelings are expected to fade.

As mentioned above, no peer-reviewed study has been published on
reparative therapy. No longitudinal study has ever been conducted
into its long-term effectiveness and hazards. However, many of the
larger conservative Christian organizations, like Coral Ridge
Ministries and Focus on the Family claim that this and other
therapies have a high cure rate. Meanwhile many psychiatrists who do
not support this therapy report anecdotal evidence of gays and
lesbians who have become seriously depressed after the inevitable
failure of their therapy; some have committed suicide.

Is a change in sexual orientation
possible?

These conversion therapies are based on the belief that the
"cause(s)" of homosexuality are found in the environment --
specifically from the parenting incompetence of the father while the
boy is young. We have found six types of studies into the nature of
homosexuality that appear to indicate that this is not true:

The first type appears to show that inadequate or non-existent
fathering is not a factor in sexual orientation:

Society itself is an excellent testing laboratory for many
social theories. There is a near consensus among mental health and
human sexuality professionals that the incidence of homosexual
orientation is fairly constant across societies and eras. However,
if Ms. Moberly's theory on incompetent fathering is correct, then
one would expect to observe two factors:

A drastic increase in homosexual orientation among children
born shortly before World War II. British, Canadian and other
forces were engaged in combat from 1939 to 1945; Americans were
involved from 1941 to 1945. Many boys were deprived of their
fathers during their formative years. The ultimate "distant"
father is one who is fighting a war on another continent. We have
been unable to find evidence of any such massive surge in the
incidence of homosexual orientation among men who are now in their
early 60's.

A much larger percentage of African-American children than
white children are brought up in a single-parent family in which a
resident father is absent. If Moberly's theory were correct, then
one would expect a much higher incidence of homosexuality among
African-American adult males than among the general population.
Again, there appears to be no evidence that this is true.

Five other studies appear to indicate that sexual orientation (at
least for males) is largely genetically determined:

Pedigree studies of the sexual orientation of the ancestors of
gay males indicates that homosexual orientation is largely
genetically determined and is passed by the mother via one or more
genes on a specific chromosome.

Studies of identical twins who were separated at birth and
raised in isolation from each other also show that homosexual
orientation is primarily genetically determined.

Studies of twins who are born into and raised in the same
family support the data from the previous study.

Studies of fingertip ridges shows a difference between
homosexual and heterosexual males. (Fingerprints are fully formed
by the 17th week of pregnancy).

Studies of index and ring fingers show that homosexuals and
heterosexuals generally differ in the ratio of the length of their
fingers. The relative size of a person's fingers is also
determined before birth.

Acceptance of conversion therapies:

Within the mental health community there are two schools of
thought about these therapies:

Many hundreds of conservative Christian therapists and ministries
promote them as effective and safe. These therapies mesh well with
their fundamental religious beliefs: Starting with three fundamental
religious beliefs common to most conservative Christians, that:

The Bible condemns homosexual behavior

God hates homosexual acts.

God is involved in every life event, including fertilization
of ova.

Then it would appear irrational for God to create about 5% of the
embryos as homosexual. Thus, sexual orientation cannot be genetically
predetermined.

Starting with another two fundamental religious beliefs:

God is omnipotent, and thus has the power to change a person's
sexual orientation.

God has promised to answer the sincere prayers of born-again
believers.

Then, sexual orientation must be changeable, at least for
born-again believers, through effort, counseling, and prayer.

Almost all of the hundreds of thousands of remaining mental health
professionals feel that therapy is:

incapable of changing a person's sexual orientation,

is contraindicated,

may be damaging to the client, and

has the potential to cause serious depression

triggers suicide in some cases.

Safety of these therapies:

Within medicine, there are strong governmental controls that
govern the introduction of new medications and treatment regimens.
But mental and physical therapies are largely unregulated. Anybody
can introduce and promote a new, totally unproven, form of
experimental therapy. If it catches on, thousands of therapists may
adopt the concept and start treating their patients. Over the last
two decades we have seen treatments based on therapists' beliefs in:
abuse of patients during former lifetimes, abuse during UFO
visitations, facilitated communication for autistic children,
indwelling demonic spirits, mind control within religious Cults,
multiple personality disorder/dissociative identity disorder,
recovered memory therapy, ritual abuse in day care centers, Satanic
ritual abuse, and therapeutic touch.

All of these treatment methods have a few points in common:

None are currently accepted by most therapists.

None were accepted by most therapists at any time in the
past.

All are, or have been, widespread forms of therapy by a
minority of therapists and clergy.

None have been meaningfully researched and shown to be
helpful.

Most of these have been shown to be frauds; all might eventually
prove to be ineffective. Many generate a trail of devastated lives;
some have been shown to trigger deep depression and suicide.

No consensus exists on the safety, effectiveness, and possible
adverse consequences of conversion therapies at this time. We urge
extreme caution.

Many bisexuals have been convinced, during therapy, to confine
their relationships to the opposite gender. This is commonly
referred to by therapists and Evangelical Christian ministries to
gays and lesbians as "leaving the homosexual lifestyle," "changing
their homosexuality," "becoming an ex-gay," "set free from the
addiction of homosexuality and lesbianism," "seeking freedom from
homosexuality," "called...to a new kind of life," "being a
recovered gay," "redeem their lives from the pit," etc. Note that
their sexual orientation is unchanged; they simply decided to
behave differently -- to only become romantically involved with
members of the opposite gender.

Some homosexuals have been convinced during therapy to choose
celibacy. Therapy promoters generally use the above terms to
describe this group as well. Note that their sexual orientation is
unchanged; they remain homosexual; they simply decided to not act
on their sexual longings -- to not have a sexual partner, and to
accept a life of loneliness.

Some homosexuals have completed therapy in a temporary
euphoria. They believe that they have changed their sexual
orientation. Some are even able to engage in sexual intercourse
with members of the opposite gender, by closing their eyes and
fantasizing that they are actually making love to a person of the
same sex. The belief that they are now heterosexual always, or
almost always, fades with time.

Some have entered therapy with great anticipation that they
will be able to change their sexual orientation.

When it proves unsuccessful:

Many become severely depressed. Some of these have attempted
or actually committed suicide.

Some have the opposite reaction. They achieve greater
self-esteem. They finally realize that they have exhausted all
their options; their homosexual orientation cannot be changed.
They accept themselves for what they are, and pursue gay/lesbian
relationship(s) without guilt.

We have been able to find a few documented case of individuals
with a homosexual orientation who report having changed to a
heterosexual orientation. Almost all of the cases that we have
located turned out to be false leads: the individual later admitted
that he/she had not changed their orientation. Many have left the
"ex-gay" movement to become an "ex-ex-gays."

Unfortunately, these suspicions are based on inadequate evidence.
Certainty awaits a meaningful, credible study by mental health
professionals. Unfortunately, the studies that have been made to date
are seriously flawed.

The American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological
Association, the American Counseling Association, the National
Association of Social Workers, and the American Medical Association
all oppose conversion therapy on the basis that it is not
evidence-based and potentially harmful to the patients mental
health. The practice also contributes to social stigma by
characterizing homosexuality as a mental illness, a view that has
been discredited for decades.

The American Psychological Association advises mental health
professionals to avoid telling patients that they can change their
sexual orientation because evidence doesnt exist that such a
change is possible and its the potentially harmful to the
patients mental health.

California Law

In 2012 in California, SB
1172, by then Sen. Ted Lieu, was signed into law and prohibits
licensed mental health providers from performing conversion
therapy with a patient under 18 years of age. Anyone who violates
this law is subject to discipline by the providers licensing
entity.

The American Psychological Association is embarking on the first
review of its 10-year-old policy on counseling gays and lesbians, a
step that gay-rights activists hope will end with a denunciation of
any attempt by therapists to change sexual orientation.

Such efforts  often called reparative therapy or conversion
therapy  are considered futile and harmful by many gay-rights
activists. Conservative groups defend the right to offer such
treatment, and say people with their viewpoint have been excluded
from the review panel.

A six-member task force set up by the APA has its first meeting
beginning next Tuesday.

Already, scores of conservative religious leaders and counselors,
representing such groups as the Southern Baptist Convention and Focus
on the Family, have written a joint letter to the APA, expressing
concern that the task force's proposals would not properly
accommodate gays and lesbians whose religious beliefs condemn gay
sex.

"We believe that psychologists should assist clients to develop
lives that they value, even if that means they decline to identify as
homosexual," said the letter, which requested a meeting between APA
leaders and some of the signatories.

APA spokeswoman Rhea Farberman said a decision on when and how to
reply to the letter had not yet been made.

The current APA policy, adopted in 1997, opposes any counseling
that treats homosexuality as a mental illness, but does not
explicitly denounce reparative therapy. The APA has decided to review
the policy at a time when gay-rights groups are increasingly critical
of such treatment and groups that support it.

Conservatives contend that the review's outcome is preordained
because the task force is dominated by gay-rights supporters.

"We're concerned," said Carrie Gordon Earll of Focus on the
Family. "The APA does not have a good track record of listening to
other views."

Joseph Nicolosi, a leading proponent of reparative therapy,
predicted the task force would propose a ban of the practice 
and he vowed to resist such a move. Nicolosi, who was rejected as a
task force nominee, is president of the National Association for
Research and Therapy of Homosexuality.

Clinton Anderson, director of the APA's Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual
Concerns Office, insisted the panel would base its findings on
scientific research, not ideology. He defended the decision to reject
certain conservative applicants to the task force.

"We cannot take into account what are fundamentally negative
religious perceptions of homosexuality  they don't fit into our
world view," Anderson said.

One of the counselors denied a seat on the task force was Warren
Throckmorton, a psychology professor at Grove City College near
Pittsburgh. Though Throckmorton doesn't advocate a specific form of
reparative therapy, he argues that psychologists should respect gay
clients' religious beliefs in cases where the faith teaches that
homosexual behavior is wrong.

"We work with clients to pursue their chosen values," he said. "If
they are core, unwavering commitments to their religious belief,
therapists should not try to persuade them differently under the
guise of science."

However, one of the task force members, New York City psychiatrist
Jack Drescher, said the conservatives don't acknowledge the harm that
might be caused when a gay patient  even voluntarily 
undergoes therapy to suppress or change sexual orientation.

"They want a rubber stamp of approval for a form of therapy that's
questionable in its efficacy and they don't want to deal with the
issue of harmful side effects," said Drescher, who is editor of the
Journal of Gay and Lesbian Psychotherapy.

As the APA planned the policy review, it received input from
gay-rights groups, including Parents, Families and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays.

PFLAG's executive director, Jody Huckaby, said reparative therapy
had been particularly harmful for young gays whose parents insisted
on trying to change their sexual orientation. His group contends
these efforts can cause depression and suicidal behavior.

Current APA policy stipulates that no therapy should occur without
"informed consent" of a gay or lesbian client. Jason Cianciotto of
the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force said he hoped the APA would
declare that no young person could ever be deemed to have given
informed consent, and thus no reparative therapy would be approved
for minors.

The largest ministry that does counsel gays to change their sexual
orientation is Exodus International. Its president, Alan Chambers
 who says prayer and therapy enabled him to move away from
homosexuality  is among those apprehensive of the APA
review.

"I had hoped for more diversity on that panel," Chambers said. "I
see a lot of people who represent the other side  who don't
believe that people like me have a right to self-determination."

Two federal judges in California have arrived at opposite conclusions
on whether the state's first-of-its-kind law prohibiting licensed
psychotherapists from trying to change the sexual orientations of gay
minors violates the Constitution. The measure remains clear to take
effect on Jan.1.

U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller on Tuesday refused to block
the law after concluding that opponents who have sued in her
Sacramento court to overturn it were unlikely to prove the ban on
"conversion" therapy unfairly tramples on their civil rights.

The opponents argued the law would make them liable for discipline
if they merely recommended the therapy to patients or discuss it with
them. Mueller said they didn't demonstrate that they were likely to
win, so she wouldn't block the law.

Mueller issued her decision in a lawsuit filed by four counselors,
two families, a professional organization for practitioners and a
Christian therapists group. It came half a day after her colleague,
U.S. District Judge William Shubb, handed down a somewhat competing
ruling in a similar, but separate lawsuit.

Saying he found the First Amendment issues presented by the ban to
be compelling, Shubb late Monday ordered the state to temporarily
exempt three people named in the case before him  two mental
health providers and a former patient who is studying to practice
sexual orientation change therapy.

The judge said during a hearing earlier Monday that he would have
considered keeping the law from taking effect for all licensed
therapists, but that the case before him had not been filed as a
class action that could be applied to unnamed plaintiffs.

Sen. Ted Lieu, who sponsored the law, said Tuesday that because
Shubb limited the scope of his decision, Mueller ruling means the law
may be applied statewide at the beginning of the new year 
except for the three individuals mentioned.

The future of the statute remains unclear, however. Mathew Staver,
chairman of the Christian legal group Liberty Counsel, appealed
Mueller's decision to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and said
he would seek an emergency injunction to keep the law on hold until
its constitutionality is determined.

Gov. Shumlin
Signs Law to Ban Conversion Therapy in VermontAt a time when some states are working to erode hard-fought
advances in civil rights for the LGBT community, Gov. Peter Shumlin
today signed a law to advance them in Vermont by banning the
dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy. The new law
bans the practice of seeking to change a minor's sexual orientation
or gender identity in the State of Vermont.

"It's absurd to think that being gay or transgender is something
to be cured of," Gov. Shumlin said. "Our country has come a long way
in a short period of time in recognizing the civil rights of members
of the LGBT community, and I am so proud that Vermont has taken a
leadership role at every step of the way. At a time when the rights
of LGBT individuals are under attack in other parts of the country,
Vermont will continue to stand up to hatred and bigotry and show the
rest of the country what tolerance, understanding, and common
humanity look like."

Conversion therapy has been widely discredited by the scientific
community. A 2015 report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA) "found that variations in sexual
orientation and gender identity are normal, and that conversion
therapies or other efforts to change sexual orientation or gender
identity are not effective, are harmful, and are not appropriate
therapeutic practices."

Vermont joins California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, and
Washington, D.C. in enacting a law to ban conversion therapy. Earlier
this year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced regulations to
ban public and private insurers from covering the practice.

Youth Mental Health Preservation Act
Introduced in Missouri for First TimeFor the first time in Missouri, HB 2141, focused on banning
so-called conversion therapy has been filed by Rep. Tracy
McCreery. The Youth Mental Health Preservation Act states that "state
licensed professionals cannot engage in any form of conversion
therapy of a minor.

Rep. McCreery added, Conversion therapy is a dangerous
practice that needs to be stopped. Lawmakers should be doing
everything in our power to protect all children.

Missouri makes the fourth state (Arizona, Virginia, Washington)
that has introduced legislation banning conversion therapy practices
for minors by licensed therapists in 2018.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, LGBT youth who are highly
rejected by their parents are more than eight times as likely to
attempt suicide compared to LGBT youth who were not rejected or even
a little rejected.*

What is conversion therapy?

Conversion therapy, also referred to as "reparative therapy,
ex-gay therapy, and sexual orientation change
efforts, is a widely discredited practice that attempts to
change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity.
Practices to cure individuals of their same-sex sexual
orientations and transgender identities include a number of
techniques ranging from shaming to hypnosis to inducing vomiting to
electric shocks.

These practices have been condemned by the American Counseling
Association, American Medical Association, and American Psychiatric
Association. In 2009, the American Psychological Association (APA)
issued a report** enumerating the direct risks of conversion therapy
to include, among others: depression, guilt, helplessness,
hopelessness, shame, social withdrawal, and a distinct rise in
suicidality.

There are no cities in Missouri in which conversion therapy is
banned for minors. Nine states plus D.C. have passed similar
legislation, including California, Connecticut, Illinois, Nevada, New
Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Several cities
in Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania have also banned conversion
therapy practices for minors.

Washington state passes
ban on gay cure therapy for minorsA bill to ban gay cure therapy on minors has been
approved by lawmakers in Washington state.

The US state could become the latest to outlaw the use of
so-called conversion therapy to attempt to change the
sexuality of minors. ?

Performing gay cure therapy on minors is already is illegal in
nine US states and counting, as well as Switzerland, Malta, Taiwan,
two Canadian provinces, and the Australian state of Victoria.

The practice is still technically legal in the UK.

Experts overwhelmingly agree that attempts to cure sexuality are
futile, misguided, and often extremely harmful. Attempts to force
teens to repress their sexuality has been linked to depression,
self-harm and even suicide.

Washington state has this week become the latest to give the green
light to a bill to outlaw the treatment.

Lawmakers in the states House of Representatives approved
the bill by a vote of 66-32, after it cleared the Senate earlier this
month.

Although the vote was broadly along party lines, more than a dozen
Republicans joined the states Democratic majority in voting for
the ban.

The bill will now go back to the Senate for concurrence heading to
the desk of the states Governor, Democrat Jay Inslee, who has
previously vowed to sign the bill into law.

Human Rights Campaign National Field Director Marty Rouse said:
No child should be put through the abusive practice of
so-called conversion therapy.

This outdated and dangerous practice has been rejected by
medical professionals and has resulted in life-threatening
consequences for countless LGBTQ youth.

We thank the state legislators who voted to protect young
Washingtonians from this inhumane practice.

A bill was introduced in California last month which would see
practitioners of debunked gay cure therapies prosecuted
for consumer fraud.

Out lawmaker Evan Low, who sits on the states Legislative
Assembly, drew up AB-2943, known as the Unlawful business practices:
sexual orientation change efforts bill.

The bill would build on the existing consumer protection law to
introduce a possible conviction under state law for gay
cure practitioners.

The UK government recently said it would consider banning gay
cure therapy.

British health minister Jackie Doyle-Price said: This is an
issue the Government is keeping under review and we are constantly
working towards improving the evidence base.

She added: The Government rejects utterly the notion that
sexuality is something to be cured, and condemns gay conversion
therapy.

The evidence base is clear that conversion therapy is not
only ineffective but is potentially harmful to participants.